<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Just a Lift by SociallyAwkwardFox</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157548">Just a Lift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyAwkwardFox/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox'>SociallyAwkwardFox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Carrying, Dancing, Drunkenness, Exhaustion, F/M, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Injury, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:07:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,366</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyAwkwardFox/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Fjord carried Caleb in his arms and one time it was the other way around.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fjord/Caleb Widogast, Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>186</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just a Lift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Did Caleb sudden remember spells he had because I had to look up his spell list for reference? Yes, yes, he did! Listen, I just wanted Fjord carrying Caleb in his arms.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>1.</strong>
</p><p>“This is a stupid idea.” After testing the floorboard in front of him, Caleb took a cautious step forward that caused the floor to creak dangerously under his weight. “Why are we doing this?”</p><p>“Because the pay is good. We'll be in and out. Nothing is going to go wrong.”</p><p>“Something always goes wrong, Beauregard. Why would you make things worse by saying that?”</p><p>“It's going to be fine. Follow behind me.”</p><p>“If I die because of this, I'm haunting you for getting me killed.”</p><p>Beau turned to stick her tongue out at him, then made a leap over a patch of rotten floor and landed perfectly on the other side. Before Caleb followed her lead, a hand flicked up to flip Beau the bird. Once Caleb was safely away from the rotten spot, Fjord did the same and did his best to ignore their bickering.</p><p>Their goal led them further down the corridor, until they came to a door that Caleb nudged Beau out of the way to get to. His eyes studied the symbols on the door for a few long moments, then reach up to knock his knuckles against it. The door creaked open enough for an eerily light to spill through the crack that Caleb quickly stepped back from. He took several steps back when Beau moved to nudge the door open a little wider with her staff.</p><p>“Think we're good to go in?”</p><p>“Ja, but go slow. There could be something in there that needs a little more excitement to activate.”</p><p>As she stepped into the room, Beau's hands tightened on her staff that she held at the ready to attack at any moment. After getting a few steps in the room, Caleb followed behind her with his eyes glancing from side to side. When he came to an abrupt halt, Fjord almost ran right into his back, but managed to stop at the last second. He reached out a hand to rest on Caleb's shoulder that drew his attention for a brief moment.</p><p>“That what we're here for?”</p><p>“It appears so. This seems a little too easy.”</p><p>“Do you think it's trapped?”</p><p>Caleb hummed thoughtfully under his breath. “The fact there haven't been any up to this point makes me think they were attempting to lure us into a false sense of security. Putting a trap only here would be a good way to catch someone unaware.”</p><p>“What should we do?”</p><p>“Mage hand would be good here, but that's not an option. Getting too close could cause problems or picking it up could trigger something. There is a lot that could go wrong.”</p><p>“Well, we need to be careful. There's no healer around to save our asses if we do something stupid.”</p><p>“Oh, duh. We should get out of the room.”</p><p>“You have an idea?”</p><p>“I'll send Schmidt in and he can mess with it.”</p><p>“Good idea.” He gave Caleb's shoulder a little squeeze, then used his grip to guide him out of the room. “Come on, Beau.”</p><p>Once they were all safely out of the room, Caleb created his unseen servant and sent it into the room to remove the box. A cacophony of sounds and flashing lights came from the room followed by an eerie silence. When the box floated out of the room, it looked the exact same as it had before everything went off. Rather than grab it, Caleb opened the haversack and let Schmidt drop the object straight in.</p><p>“Mission accomplished.” Caleb zipped up the haversack and pulled it back onto his shoulders. “Let's leave now before something crazy happens.”</p><p>Before Caleb could head back the way they came, Beau playfully bumped her shoulder against him with a little smirk. It ended up being enough to knock him off balance and sent him stumbling into a patch of rotten floor. The wood gave out underneath him causing one of his legs to sink through the new hole in the ground. A pained hiss fell from Caleb's lips as he struggled to maintain his balance.</p><p>“Shit!” Beau quickly steadied him, then motioned for Fjord to help her get Caleb out. “What happened?”</p><p>“You shoved me.”</p><p>“That's not what I meant.”</p><p>With Caleb securely leaning against Beau, he carefully broke away more of the wood to make a clear path. As soon as there was enough space, Fjord gently wrapped his hands around Caleb's calf and guided it out. When one hand slid down to his ankle to give him more control, a little yelp sounded from above him. He quickly removed his hand and looked up to find Caleb's face scrunched up in pain.</p><p>Before Caleb could protest, Fjord pulled up his pant leg to check his ankle and let out a low hiss at the bruised coloration. He gently ran his fingers along the ankle to be sure there wasn't anything immediately concerning, then let the pant leg fall. When he straightened back up, both Caleb and Beau were looking at him with the question plain on their faces.</p><p>“It's just twisted. Jessie or Cad shouldn't have any problem with it when we get back. We should keep you off it to make sure it doesn't get worse.”</p><p>“Which one of us is going to do it?”</p><p>“You've been the one scouting ahead on this one. I'll carry him.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Positive.” Beau narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then gave him a firm nod as she started weaving her way down the corridor. “I'm going to pick you up now. Ready?”</p><p>After Caleb gave him a nod of confirmation, Fjord dipped down to hook one arm around his knees and placed the other just under his armpits. Once he was sure he wouldn't jostle his ankle, he lifted Caleb into his arms and gave him a moment to get comfortable before moving. Caleb placed one arm around Fjord's shoulders, then shifted his body a little to settle his weight more evenly.</p><p>“Good?"</p><p>“As I can be with a twisted ankle. Are you sure Beauregard shouldn't be the one to carry me?”</p><p>“What? You don't trust me to do it?”</p><p>A little smile quirked up the corner of Caleb's lips. “I did not say that.”</p><p>“Don't make me drop you.”</p><p>“You won't do that... on purpose.”</p><p>“I'm thinking about it.” As he shuffled around a rotted patch of flooring, he pretended to lose his hold on Caleb for a second earning him another arm wrapped around his neck and a glare. “Something wrong?”</p><p>“You are very funny. I am going to remember that.”</p><p>“It would shock me if you didn't.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>2.</strong>
</p><p>A loud laugh bubbled out of Caleb as he listened to the crazy story Jester that weaved for their drunken friends. His body tipped dangerously to the side almost sending him out of his chair as his body went off balance. All it took was a steadying hand on his shoulder to straighten him back up, so he didn't end up on the floor. Blue eyes turned to look at the hand on his shoulder, then flicked up to Fjord's face as a thankful smile appeared on his face.</p><p>When Caleb returned his attention to Jester, Fjord let his hand fall away so he could shuffle his chair closer to the other man's. This proved to be a good idea because the next round of laughter caused Caleb to press against Fjord's side as he lost his balance once again. Rather than return to being upright, Caleb shift his body to lean more comfortably against him. When Fjord moved his arm to get it out from being pinned between them, Caleb reached a hand up to play with the fingers now resting on the back of his chair.</p><p>Every laugh or little movement from Caleb made Fjord hyperaware of the body now using his as a support. As time wore on, Caleb slumped further and further into Fjord, until he was partially in Fjord's chair with his feet were flat on his chair. With a sloppy snap of his fingers, Frumpkin appeared in his lap and immediately curled up when fingers began running through his fur.</p><p>The new position seemed to be enough to put his drunk friend to sleep because his head slowly drifted to tuck against Fjord's shoulder and the hand in Frumpkin's fur came to a halt. After craning his neck to find Caleb's eyes closed, he assessed the possibility of picking Caleb up without waking him. A pair of hands plucking Frumpkin out of his lap took one obstacle out of the equation as Nott sat on the edge of Caleb's chair with the cat in her arms. Her drunken gaze assessed him for a moment, then she pointed a finger from Caleb to him to the stairs leading to their rooms.</p><p>With a roll of his eyes at her, he moved the arm on the back of Caleb's chair to wrap securely under his knees. The next few minutes were spent gently shifting Caleb's body from leaning squarely in the center of his chest to across it. When one arm flopped awkwardly to the side, Fjord adjusted them to rest on his stomach so it wouldn't case any trouble later. Once he was sure he wouldn't drop Caleb, he slowly rose from his chair to prevent the legs from scrapping against the ground. Before heading up the stairs, he gave a soft good night to the other that earned him a few smirks.</p><p>As he carefully headed up the stairs, sleepy eyes cracked open and Caleb stretched almost out of his arms. He quickly tightened his hold to stop him from sending them tumbling down the stair, then nearly lost his balance when a pair of hands squished his cheeks. His face wrinkled up in confusion as he pet at Fjord's face, until his hand eventually ended up in his hair.</p><p>"You are looking a little green today, Frumpkin. Are you sick?" The hand in his hair drifted down to scratch behind his ear, then went back to petting him. "Your fur is so long. When did that happen?"</p><p>The rest of Caleb's words turned into nonsensical blabbing as he continued to treat Fjord like his cat all the way to the room. With some difficulty, Fjord bent down to twist the knob to the room Caleb and Nott had claimed before all the drinking started. While it took some convincing to get Caleb's fingers out of his hair, he eventually laid him on the bed and moved to remove his outwear. His shoes came off easily enough, but it took significantly longer to get him out of his coat and book holsters without waking him.</p><p>Before he could move away to put his clothing somewhere he wouldn't end up tripping all over them in the morning, Caleb rolled onto his side. His hand reached out to latch onto the first part of Fjord he touched, then tightened his grip when Fjord attempted to pull away. Trying to dislodge his fingers earned him an annoyed huff and a little tug. With a fond sigh, Fjord folded up the clothing and set them as far away from the bed as possible, then kicked off his own shoes.</p><p>As soon as he rested flat on his back, Caleb adjusted his position to curl up against Fjord's side. The hand twisted into his shirt moved higher up his chest as Caleb kicked a leg across Fjord's pinning him in place. Since he wouldn't be leaving any time soon, Fjord wrapped an arm around Caleb's waist and bent one of his knees causing the leg across him to slide to his hips. The comfort of Caleb wrapped around him with his head resting on Fjord's chest easily lolled him onto the verge of sleep.</p><p>The squeak of the door hinges alerted him to Nott stepping through the door, only to come to a halt when she noticed him. An annoyed expression twisted her features as she quietly crossed the room to grab her pack. She clambered onto the bed to press a quick kiss to Caleb's forehead, then turned her attention to Fjord.</p><p>“Make sure he drinks plenty of water in the morning.”</p><p>“I know, Nott.”</p><p>“Good.” After gently brushing Caleb's hair out of his face, she hopped off the bed and exited the room. </p><p>Once he was sure Caleb hadn't woken up, he let his eyes slip back shut and waited for sleep to take him. The gentle rhythm of Caleb breathing helped him relax back into the bed and gradually slow his own breathing to match. Between the comfort of sleeping in a bed and the warmth of Caleb, sleep came quicker than it had in days.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>3.</strong>
</p><p>The slide of his sword through the torso of the humanoid creatures they were fighting left it gurgling at his feet. After he was sure the creature wouldn't get back up, he turned to check on the others and found them all struggling to catch their breaths. A glance around the battlefield showed the other creatures were nothing more than scorch marks littering the battlefield. Even without asking, he knew that Caleb was the one responsible for putting an end to the battle.</p><p>With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the falchion, then slowly made his way over to the others. He was almost to them when he noticed Caleb swaying dangerously from side to side with his eyes staring off into the distance. Just as Fjord reached him, his legs gave out from under him sending him to his knees. Fjord quickly dropped down in front of him drawing Caleb's gaze as he reflexively lifted a shaking hand.</p><p>When Caleb realized he recognized him, the hand immediately dropped, and he fell back onto his butt. Before he ended up passing out on the ground, Fjord moved to sit next to him so he could lean against his body. A thankful hum rumbled out of Caleb as he put all of his body weight onto Fjord.</p><p>“Do you just need a few minutes, or will you need some help?” Heavy eyes blinked up at him as Caleb's mind struggled to process his words. “I'm going to take that as you'll need some help.”</p><p>“I may have overdone it.”</p><p>“It looks like, but you did what you had to do. We're all grateful for that.”</p><p>“I am deadweight.”</p><p>“Because you saved all of our asses. We'll make sure you get back safely. It's about time we head back anyways. It's going to get dark soon and we're obviously not going to find what we're looking for here.”</p><p>“Just give me a few minutes. I'll be fine.”</p><p>Fjord pulled away to see if Caleb could stay up by himself, but his body stayed pressed against Fjord the entire time. “Yeah, I'm not buying that. You're so exhausted you can't even sit up on your own.”</p><p>“What do you propose we do?”</p><p>Before Caleb could argue, Fjord easily adjusted him into a bridal carry and rose to his feet with Caleb in his arms. Arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as Caleb felt his body lifted off the ground. Blue eyes blinked at him in confusion, then looked down at the ground and back at him with understanding.</p><p>“I'm starting to think you are looking for any excuse to do this.”</p><p>“Would you prefer I put you down?”</p><p>As he opened his mouth to speak, Caleb interrupted himself with a loud yawn. “Maybe, this is for the best. I might fall asleep.”</p><p>“Go nuts. I promise not to leave you in the forest somewhere.”</p><p>“You better not.” The arms around his neck tightened and Caleb rested his head on Fjord's shoulder with another yawn. “That would be mean.”</p><p>“Just go to sleep.”</p><p>Without any further objection from Caleb, Fjord headed to the rest of the group checking on them as he went. While he could see blood and bruises on some of them, no one looked significantly wounded. He let out a relieved sigh as he joined them drawing the attention of Caduceus who moved to stand in front of him.</p><p>“Does he need healing?”</p><p>“No, he just used a lot of juice. All he needs is rest. We should head back to the inn. Is everyone else good to move?”</p><p>“Everyone else is good. Do you need any healing, Mr. Fjord? I can patch you up before we leave.”</p><p>“Thank you, Caduceus, but I'm good. Barely got a scratch on me.”</p><p>After giving him a little nod, Caduceus moved to pick up his pack from the ground and held out a hand to help Nott up. While the others got ready for the trudge back, Jester came over to poke at Caleb causing the wizard to stir. On her next attempt, Fjord turned his body to the side so her finger ended up hitting his armor instead of Caleb.</p><p>“Quit that."</p><p>“Do you want me to carry him?”</p><p>Even though his arms were starting to burn, he shook his head no. “I've got him for now. How are you doing, Jester? Things got a little crazy there for a moment.”</p><p>“I'm fine. Those things were really weird. Did you see what Caleb did? It was super cool!”</p><p>“No, I was facing the other direction.”</p><p>“Well, it was very impressive. I bet you would've loved it.” Jester knocked her shoulder against his with a wink causing his cheeks to warm in embarrassment. “Aw, are you blushing?”</p><p>“Stop it, Jester.”</p><p>“What did I do?”</p><p>“You know what you did.”</p><p>A devilish smirk appeared on her face as she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “Is it because you have a giant crush on Caleb, and you haven't told him yet?”</p><p>“I regret telling you that more and more every single day.”</p><p>“Who else is going to help you make Caleb fall madly in love with you?”</p><p>“That is not why I told you." When she raised an eyebrow at him, he glared at her in return. “It is not why I told you.”</p><p>“Fine. Just keep carrying him around and hope he figures it out without you saying anything to him.”</p><p>“You have no room to judge me considering what's going on with you and her. I'll tell him when I'm good and ready.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay."</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Jester shrugged her shoulders as she stepped away from him with her thumbs tucked under the straps of the haversack. “Nothing. It's just going to take forever for that to happen.”</p><p>“That is not true.”</p><p>“Whatever you say, Fjord. Let me know when you need help carrying Caleb, okay? You don't want to drop him.”</p><p>“I'm not going to drop him, Jessie.”</p><p>“You better not!”</p><p>“I'm won't!”</p><p>As Jester walked away from him, Fjord turned his attention down to the man in his arms to check they hadn't woken him. The slow rise and fall Caleb chest made it obvious he was still fast asleep despite their talking. With a sigh, he started in the direction the others were headed with Caleb held securely in his arms.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>4.</strong>
</p><p>Fjord watched in amusement as Caleb nudged at Beau with his giant ape hand almost sending her off the edge of the branch they were balanced on. Her hands swatted at him to get him to stop, but she didn't put enough force behind it to do any damage. With one final poke, Caleb dropped the polymorph turning back into his normal self, which Beau could easily get her arms around. She quickly wrapped him up in a headlock that almost caused Caleb to lose his footing.</p><p>“Are you done being a dick now?” A hand reached around Beau to poke her hard in the side, but she didn't even acknowledge it. “Are you?”</p><p>“If I say yes, will you actually let me go?”</p><p>“That depends.”</p><p>“On?”</p><p>“If you mean it.”</p><p>Caleb rolled his eyes as he tugged on Beau's arm, until she finally released her hold on him allowing him to straighten up. “You know, I am beginning to regret dropping polymorph up here. That is a bit of a ways down.”</p><p>“It's not that far.”</p><p>“Says the one that flips around the place all the time. Not all of us are able to do that.”</p><p>“I can help you learn if you want. It's really easy.”</p><p>“Why don't I believe you?” Caleb's eyes narrowed at her as he shuffled sideways on the branch to get further away from Beau. “How about you go down first, and I'll follow?”</p><p>“You don't trust me?”</p><p>“Not when you're being shady like you are now.”</p><p>“You're just being paranoid. I just want to help. Trust me.”</p><p>“Oh, I am going to regret this later.”</p><p>With a wide smile, Beau turned her attention away from Caleb to look directly at him instead. “Hey, Fjord! Can you come closer?”</p><p>“Why does Fjord need to come closer?”</p><p>“Just in case. It's always important to have a spotter when you're learning something new. That's how you prevent injuries.”</p><p>“Injuries doing what?”</p><p>“Get back over here and I'll show you.”</p><p>After a moment of hesitation, Caleb shuffled back across the branch to stand next to Beau with one hand tucked in his pocket. “You know I could just use magic to help me down.”</p><p>“You shouldn't always rely on magic to help you out. What if you can't get to what you need or you're exhausted? It's important to learn proper techniques for things like this. The fall won't kill you if you do it properly.”</p><p>“This seems like a very elaborate way to watch me make a fool of myself.”</p><p>“Why would I do that?”</p><p>“Because-”</p><p>Before Caleb could finish his sentence, two hands shoved him hard in the back sending him off the branch. Fjord swore under his breath as he quickly adjusted his position beneath Caleb, only to realize his descent slowed. Blue eyes glanced down to meet his, then Caleb glared up at Beau with his arms crossed over his chest. As light as a feather, Caleb landed in Fjord's waiting arms.</p><p>Even though he could easily get to his feet, Caleb remained in Fjord's hold as he continued to glare up at Beau. Beau's laughter almost sent her tumbling off the branch, but she easily turned it into a flip that landed her perfectly on her feet. When Beau reached out to ruffle his hair, Caleb swatted at her hand like a disgruntled cat.</p><p>“You are a dick."</p><p>“That's what you get for being a dick.” Beau snatched Caleb’s hand out of the air, then used her free one to ruffle his hair. “We'll call it even now.”</p><p>“Go away.”</p><p>“There's no reason to pout.”</p><p>With a snap of his fingers, Frumpkin appeared on top of Beau's head and began to knead her hair into messy clumps. “Now, we are even.”</p><p>Beau plucked the cat off the top of her head, then cradled him in her arms and walked off with Frumpkin. Despite being able to get his cat back, Caleb just rolled his eyes and turned his eyes to Fjord instead. Before Fjord could say anything, Caleb wrapped his arms around his neck to pull his upper body up enough to press a kiss to Fjord's cheek.</p><p>“Thank you, Fjord.”</p><p>“Well, I uh... wasn't going to let you fall without at least trying to help you.”</p><p>“I know.” Caleb gave him a pat on the other cheek, then swung his legs free of the arm under his knees. “Are you good? You're not hurt?”</p><p>“Cad already patched me up.”</p><p>“Good, then we should get going or we'll get left behind. It's better not to linger here too long.”</p><p>“Right. Lead the way.”</p><p>A long moment stretched on where neither of them moved, until Caleb pushed onto the tips of his toes to press another kiss to Fjord's cheek. With a barely visible smile pulling up the corners of his mouth, he spun on his heel to head in the direction they were headed before the fight. After taking a moment to comprehend what just happened, Fjord rushed to catch up with Caleb. As he slowed next to Caleb and matched his pace, he resisted the urge to overthink tangling their fingers together. The hand in his gave a little squeeze, then Caleb leaned into him.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>5.</strong>
</p><p>“Do you think they take song requests?” Jester bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet as she stared at the same group in the corner of the room playing music. “I want to dance!”</p><p>“I'm sure you can go ask but wait until they take a break. You don't want to distract them.”</p><p>“Beau, do you want to come with me to request a song?”</p><p>After finishing off the last of her drink, Beau gave Jester a nod of confirmation, then followed her around the couples dancing in the middle of the room. When he felt a shuffle next to him, Fjord looked down to find Caleb's eyes on his with an eyebrow raised. Fjord gave a shrug of his shoulders and settled an arm around Caleb's waist to pull him closer.</p><p>“Did you want to?”</p><p>Long fingers swirled around the rim of his tankard as Caleb stared at it. “It has been a while. I wouldn't say no.”</p><p>“Caleb,” Fjord gently pressed his fingers against Caleb's chin to make their eyes meet once more. “would you like to dance?”</p><p>“Ja.”</p><p>After leaning down to steal a quick kiss, Fjord lifted his tankard to down his drink in one quick go. He set the tankard back on the bar, then took a step back to hold his hand out in invitation and waited for Caleb. As soon as Caleb's hand slid into his, Fjord guided them over to the small dancefloor. While he'd never been one for dancing, he knew enough to place one hand on Caleb's hip and adjusted his hold to properly cradle Caleb's hand. Once Caleb placed a hand on his shoulder, Fjord began to gently sway them from side to side.</p><p>“I'm not really good at this.”</p><p>As they started to spin in a slow circle, Caleb stepped closer into Fjord's space. “You're doing fine.”</p><p>“I'm definitely considering not stepping on your toes as a win.”</p><p>A laugh bubbled out of Caleb that lit his entire face up. “Stop worrying so much. It's just dancing.”</p><p>“That doesn't mean I want to make it an unpleasant experience for you.”</p><p>“You couldn't.”</p><p>They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to dance to the slow song filling the tavern. The gentle rhythm of their movement was almost hypnotic causing Fjord to completely lose himself in the moment. He let his head drop to rest his forehead against Caleb's, then dipped down to kiss him when the hand on his shoulder moved to cup his jaw.</p><p>As the song drew to a close, Fjord let took a step back from Caleb to press a kiss to the back of his hand and give a small bow. Despite rolling his eyes, the wizard returned the bow before returning to their previous position. The next song that started up was a high pace tune that sounded closer to what Fjord was used to during his time at sea. </p><p>A devilish smirk appeared on Caleb's face as he dropped the hand on Fjord's shoulder to grab the hand on his waist. He skipped back until their arms were fully stretched, then released one hand as he twisted in a spin with their still clasped hands held above their head. When he pulled back a second time, Fjord changed the direction by give a firm tug on Caleb's arm. As he spun toward Fjord, he placed his hands on Caleb's waist to follow him around. Before Caleb came to a full stop, Fjord returned his hand to Caleb's to continue him in a circle around him. Once Caleb ended up back in front of him, Fjord clasped both their hands together and bit back a laugh at the slight dizzy expression on his face.</p><p>He waited for Caleb to catch his breath, then used his hold on their hands to twist their hands over the heads as they spun together. As they completed the spin, Fjord released one hand to throw Caleb out and pulled him back in. This time when Caleb came back to him, he swept Caleb up into his arms and let the momentum spin them around. Arms wrapped around his neck that kept Caleb from going flying when Fjord dropped the arm under his knees.</p><p>When Caleb's feet touch the ground once again, he leaned heavily against Fjord as huffing laughter fell from his lips. A hand buried in the hair on the back of Fjord's head, then pushed until he leaned down to meet Caleb for a kiss. They exchanged several more breathless kisses before pulling away when the song came to an end. Rather than continue to dance, Caleb tugged Fjord back their friends at the bar and ordered them both drinks.</p><p>“You were both so good!” Arms wrapped around them from behind to pull them into and awkward hug with Jester. “I knew Caleb could dance, but that was amazing Fjord!”</p><p>“Thank you, Jessie. Did you request that song?”</p><p>“Well, they didn't know the song I actually wanted, but they played that one because they said it would be close to the one I was describing. I think it was really good and I liked it a lot.”</p><p>“It was a good choice. Very upbeat.”</p><p>After giving them another squeeze, Jester released them and took a few steps back from them to where Beau was waiting for here. “Are you done or are you coming back out?”</p><p>“We're done for the night, but you two should go have fun. There's plenty more dancing to be done.”</p><p>“Okay, but you can join us later if you want.”</p><p>“Thanks, Jester. We'll keep that in mind.”</p><p>Once Jester and Beau disappeared into the group of dancers, Fjord turned back to the bar catching sight of Caleb's eyes on him as he did so. “What?”</p><p>“Do you think something will finally happen between them tonight?”</p><p>“Hmm, it definitely won't be Beau doing it if it ends up happening. She's been in love with Jester for months now and hasn't worked up the courage to tell her. Now, Jester might say something.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“It's possible.”</p><p>“Or,” Caleb slipped between the bar and Fjord to wrap his arms around Fjord's neck with a soft smile on his face. “Jester could just carry her around whenever she's hurt or needs help, until Beau feels comfortable enough to make a move.”</p><p>“That is very funny. You're so funny.”</p><p>“What? It was just an idea.”</p><p>“And where did you get that idea from?”</p><p>A finger tapped thoughtfully against Caleb's chin as he pretended to think. “I don't know. It just seems like something that could work. Don't you think?”</p><p>“Make fun all you want, but it did work on you, so I don't think you have any room to talk.”</p><p>“It was very subtle, but it did work. Eventually.”</p><p>Even though it pressed Caleb uncomfortably into the bar, Fjord reached around him to grab their two glasses. "How about we drink to making it work?”</p><p>“I think that,” Caleb took one of the glasses from Fjord, then clicked them together. “is an excellent idea.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>+1</strong>
</p><p>“I'm so bored.” Beau slumped down in her chair, until her legs were stretched as far as they could go without falling out of it. “After all the bullshit we've been through, I thought having a break would be nice, but I'm already bored. Isn't there anything fun to do?”</p><p>“You could help me with the garden. It's going really well.”</p><p>“I'm gonna have to pass on that on, Cad.”</p><p>“Well, if you find yourself in need of something to do, you are always welcomed to join me in the garden.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“You're welcome, Beau.”</p><p>With a sigh, Beau turned to Jester. “Do you have any ideas? I'm sure you've heard of some sort of game or something we can do.”</p><p>“We could ask each other really embarrassing questions, or we could plan pranks for the Traveler, or we could dare each other to do something crazy. Oh, we could bake pastries!”</p><p>“What kind of dares are we talking about?”</p><p>“There's lots of dares we could do, like painting dicks on people or giving someone a silly makeover. There are so many dares we could do. It's all about using your imagination.”</p><p>“What if someone doesn't do the dare?”</p><p>“Well,” Jester clicked her tongue thoughtfully against the roof of her mouth as her tail swished back and forth behind her. “I don't know. There are lot of option. Maybe, if someone doesn't do a dare, they have to tell everyone a really embarrassing secret?"</p><p>“Let's do it! Who wants to go first?”</p><p>Before anyone else could speak up, Jester excitedly rose her hand and bounced in her seat. “I want to go first!”</p><p>While Jester looked around on the room for who she wanted to choose, Fjord locked eyes with Caleb and rose an eyebrow. He shrugged his shoulders and settled more comfortably into Fjord's side with Frumpkin in his lap. With Caleb content to see how things turned out, Fjord resigned himself to the potential embarrassment that would inevitably be direct at him.</p><p>When Jester finally made her choice, he let out a sigh of relief when she dramatically pointed at Nott. He tried his best not to laugh as Nott attempted to use mage hand to draw a picture of Jester, so she wouldn't have a reason to pick him next. Luckily, Beau's unrestrained laughed drew Nott's ire, putting her next up followed by Yasha when Beau barely managed to complete Nott's dare. Once Yasha finished hers, she glanced between the three in the room that hadn't participated yet.</p><p>Her eyes finally stopped on Caleb, then waited until Caleb gave her a nod before speaking. “Lift Fjord like he does with you.”</p><p>“Ja, okay.”</p><p>After placing Frumpkin on the couch, Caleb rose to his feet and looked expectantly at Fjord with his arm crossed over his chest. Hesitantly, Fjord rose to his feet and looked uncertainly around the room at the others before looking at Caleb. The man gave him a reassuring smile as he moved to stand in a better position to attempt to lift him.</p><p>“This might be a little difficult because you are a lot taller than I am, but we can make this work.”</p><p>“Try not to drop me too hard.”</p><p>“I am not going to drop you.”</p><p>Despite his confidence, Fjord braced himself for a fall as Caleb bent down to lift him into his arms the same way Fjord had done with him. To his surprise, Caleb only strained a little to lift him and held him for several seconds before dropping him back on his feet. As soon as Fjord's feet hit the ground, Beau reached a hand out for Caleb to fist bump with a proud smile on her face.</p><p>“See? What did I tell you?"</p><p>“I'm not sure I would consider this a useful benefit to training.”</p><p>“But you looked badass.”</p><p>With a roll of his eyes, Caleb reached a fist out to bump against Beau's. “If you say so.”</p><p>“I do. I also think it's time we up your training to the next level.”</p><p>“Well, I think that's enough for us tonight.” Caleb snapped his fingers to make Frumpkin appeared on his shoulders as he reached out with his other to grab Fjord's. “Have fun with your game and stay out of the library. I'm putting the alarm up, so I'll know if anyone fucks with it.”</p><p>“Oh, come on! Fjord hasn't even gone yet.”</p><p>“Guess he'll have to go first next time.”</p><p>Before any other arguments could be made, Caleb pulled them out of the sitting room and down the hall to their bedroom. As soon as the library door shut behind them, he pulled out his silver wire to run across the doorway. While Caleb set his alarm, Fjord headed to the small bedroom in the back to get ready for bed. By the time Caleb entered the bedroom, Fjord had already settled in their bed with the nightstand lamp on and Caleb's book waiting for him.</p><p>After changing into his night cloths, Caleb slipped into bed next him with the book in his hand. “I am going to need to avoid Beauregard the next few days or she's going to kill me.”</p><p>“When did the two of you start training together?”</p><p>“She decided we should find a way to bond and there aren't a lot of options when we're on the road a lot. You should ask her about the arcane sometime. She's a lot better student than she pretends to be.”</p><p>“Obviously, you're a better student than you want us to believe. That was really impressive.”</p><p>“It's not that impressive.” Caleb's fingers ran over the cover of the book in swirling patterns. “You've carried me like that for a lot longer.”</p><p>“That doesn't mean what you did wasn't impressive. I think it was very, very impressive.”</p><p>As Caleb opened his mouth to argue, Fjord leaned down to kiss up the line of Caleb's exposed throat. A surprised gasp fell from Caleb's lips as he tipped his head to the side to allow Fjord better access to his neck. His hand came up to bury in Fjord's hair letting the book fall off the side of the bed with a dull thud.</p><p>“You're absolutely, without a doubt the most incredible man that I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Should I remind you of that more often?”</p><p>“If this is how you remind me,” The fingers in his hair tightened and Caleb let out a soft sigh. “I wouldn't be opposed to more reminders.”</p><p>“Is that so?”</p><p>Caleb hummed in agreement letting his body slump back into Fjord's chest. “Ja, please feel free to continue.”</p><p>“Well, I certainly can't argue with that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr (<a href="http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/">SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter</a>) or Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/AwkFoxy">@AwkFoxy</a>).</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>